Anvil unit for a material reducing machine

Abstract

A reducing machine is disclosed. The reducing machine includes a rotational reducing component, a power in-feed system for feeding material toward the rotational reducing component, and a mill box at least partially surrounding the rotational reducing component. The reducing machine also includes an anvil unit that can be inserted into the mill box and removed from the mill box. The anvil unit includes a ramp that bridges a gap between the power in-feed and the rotational reducing component. The anvil unit also includes an anvil main body having a first end positioned adjacent the power in-feed and a second end positioned adjacent the rotational reducing component. The anvil unit further includes first and second spaced-apart shear edges positioned adjacent to the second end of the anvil main body. The first and second shear edges cooperate with the rotational reducing component to provide consecutive shearing actions as reducing elements of the rotational reducing component move initially past the first shear edge and then subsequently past the second shear edge.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An anvil unit that can be inserted into a mill box of a reducing machine and removed from the mill box as a unit, the anvil unit comprising:
 an anvil main body including left and right ends separated by a first dimension, the anvil body also including first and second ends separated by a second dimension, the anvil body further including top and bottom sides separated by a third dimension, the first, second and third dimensions being perpendicular to one another;   a ramp positioned at the top side of the anvil main body that extends in a first direction from the first end of the anvil main body to the second end of the main body;   a first shear edge that extends between the left and right ends of the anvil main body, the first shear edge being positioned at the second end of the anvil main body; and   a second shear edge that extends between the left and right ends of the anvil main body, the second shear edge being positioned at the second end of the anvil main body, the second shear edge being downwardly offset from the first shear edge, the second shear edge also being offset in the first direction from the first shear edge.   
     
     
         2 . The anvil unit of  claim 1 , wherein the anvil main body defines a shelf positioned at the downstream end of the anvil main body, wherein the shelf has a length that extends between the left and right ends of the anvil main body, wherein the anvil main body defines a step that downwardly offsets the shelf from the ramp, and wherein the second shear edge is positioned adjacent the ramp and the second shear edge is positioned adjacent the shelf. 
     
     
         3 . The anvil unit of  claim 1 , wherein a wear plate and a first shear edge defining plate are fastened to the top side of the anvil main body, wherein a second shear edge defining plate is fastened to the shelf of the anvil main body, wherein the wear plate and the first shear edge defining plate cooperate to define a wear surface of the ramp, wherein the first shear edge defining plate defines the first shear edge and wherein the second shear edge defining plate defines the second shear edge. 
     
     
         4 . The anvil unit of  claim 3 , wherein the first and second shear edge defining plates are each bolted to the anvil main body, wherein the first and second shear edge defining plates each has a rectangular transverse cross-sectional shape defining four corners, wherein the corners define edges that extend along lengths of the plates, wherein the first shear edge defining plate is mounted to the main anvil body at a first mounting location, wherein the second shear edge defining plate is mounted to the main anvil body at a second mounting location, wherein the first shear edge defining plate can be bolted to the first mounting location in four different orientations with a different one of the edges of the first shear edge defining plate serving as the first shear edge in each of the four different orientations, and wherein the second shear edge defining plate can be bolted to the second mounting location in four different orientations with a different one of the edges of the second shear edge defining plate serving as the second shear edge in each of the four different orientations. 
     
     
         5 . The anvil unit of  claim 4 , wherein each of the first and second shear edge defining plates has a length greater than 70 inches, a thickness in the range of 0.5-1.0 inches and a width in the range of 2.5-3.5 inches, wherein the first and second shear edge defining plates define major axes that extend along their lengths and minor axis that extend along their widths, wherein the first and second shear edge defining plates define internally threaded bolt openings that extend through the thicknesses of the first and second shear edge defining plates aligned along the major axes of the first and second shear edge defining plates, the threaded bolt openings being arranged symmetrical about the major axes and the minor axes. 
     
     
         6 . The anvil unit of  claim 1 , wherein the reducing machine includes a power in-feed an a rotary reducing component, wherein the mill box of the reducing machine has a cross-dimension that is parallel to an axial of rotation of the rotary reducing component, wherein the anvil unit mounts to the mill box with the first dimension of the anvil main body parallel to the cross-dimension of the mill box, wherein the first dimension of the anvil main body is longer than the cross-dimension of the mill box, and wherein the second dimension of the anvil main body is sized such that the anvil main body is adapted to substantially bridge a gap between the rotary reducing component and the power in-feed of the reducing machine. 
     
     
         7 . A replaceable component for defining a shear edge of an anvil used with a grinding machine having a mill box, the replaceable component comprising:
 a plate having a rectangular transverse cross-sectional shape defining first, second, third and forth corners, the plate having a length of at least 70 inches, a width in the range of 2.5-3.5 inches and a thickness in the range of 0.5-1.0 inches, the plate being made of steel, the first, second, third and forth corners respectively defining first, second, third and fourth edges that extend along the length of the plate, the plate including a central region positioned between end regions, the end regions being adapted to be clamped in the grinding machine at locations outside the mill box and the central region defining a plurality of bolt openings for use in bolting the plate to the anvil, the plate defining a major axis that extends along the length of the plate and a minor axis that extends along the width of the plate, the bolt openings extending through the thickness of the plate, the bolt openings being symmetric about the major and minor axes of the plate such that the plate can be mounted at a mounting location of the anvil in first, second, third and fourth orientations, wherein the first edge functions as a shear edge of the anvil when the plate is mounted in the first orientation, wherein the second edge functions as the shear edge of the anvil when the plate is mounted in the second orientation, wherein the third edge functions as the shear edge of the anvil when the plate is mounted in the third orientation, wherein the fourth edge functions as the shear edge of the anvil when the plate is mounted in the fourth orientation.   
     
     
         8 . The replaceable component of  claim 7 , wherein the bolt openings correspond to a tap size of ⅝-11 UNC. 
     
     
         9 . The replaceable component of  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of bolt openings include first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth bolt openings aligned along the major axis, the first, second, third and fourth bolt openings being positioned on a first side of the minor axis and the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth bolt openings being positioned on a second side of the minor axis, the first and fifth bolt openings having centers spaced 4.75 inches from the minor axis, the second and sixth bolt openings having centers spaced 14.25 inches from the minor axis, the third and seventh bolt openings having centers spaced 23.75 inches from the minor axis and the fourth and eighth bolt openings having centers spaced 33.25 inches from the minor axis. 
     
     
         10 . A method for making a replaceable component for defining a shear edge of an anvil used with a grinding machine having a mill box, the mill box having a cross-dimension, the method comprising:
 making a plate having a rectangular transverse cross-sectional shape defining first, second, third and forth corners, the plate having a length selected to be larger than the cross-dimension of the mill box, a width in the range of 2.5-3.5 inches and a thickness in the range of 0.5-1.0 inches, the plate being made of steel, and the first, second, third and forth corners of the plate respectively defining first, second, third and fourth edges that extend along the length of the plate; and   forming a plurality of bolt opening through the thickness of the plate, the bolt openings being symmetric about major and minor axes of the plate such that the plate can be mounted at a mounting location of the anvil in first, second, third and fourth orientations.   
     
     
         11 . A reducing machine comprising:
 a rotational reducing component including a reducing element carrier that is rotated about a central axis of rotation, the reducing element carrier carrying a plurality of reducing elements that are moved along a circumferential reducing path as the reducing element carrier is rotated about the central axis of rotation;   a power in-feed system for feeding material toward the rotational reducing component;   a mill box at least partially surrounding the rotational reducing component; and   an anvil unit that can be inserted into the mill box and removed from the mill box, the anvil unit including a ramp that bridges a gap between the power in-feed and the rotational reducing component, the anvil unit including an anvil main body having a first end positioned adjacent the power in-feed and a second end positioned adjacent the rotational reducing component, the anvil unit also including first and second spaced-apart shear edges positioned adjacent to the second end of the anvil main body, wherein the first and second shear edges cooperate with the rotational reducing component to provide consecutive shearing actions as the reducing elements move initially past the first shear edge and then subsequently past the second shear edge.   
     
     
         12 . The reducing machine of  claim 11 , wherein the reducing element carrier comprises a rotary drum and the reducing elements comprising reducing teeth carried by the rotary drum. 
     
     
         13 . The reducing machine of  claim 11 , wherein the anvil unit includes first and second shear edge defining plates bolted to the anvil main body, the first shear edge defining plate defining the first shear edge of the anvil unit and the second shear edge defining plate defining a second shear edge of the anvil unit, the second shear edge being downwardly offset from the first shear edge, the second shear edge also being offset in a first direction from first shear edge, the first direction extending from the power in-feed toward the reducing element carrier. 
     
     
         14 . The reducing machine of  claim 13 , wherein the anvil main body defines a lower shelf at the downstream end of the anvil main body, and wherein the second shear edge defining plate is bolted to the shelf. 
     
     
         15 . The reducing machine of  claim 14 , wherein anvil main body includes a top side, wherein a wear plate is bolted to the top side of the anvil main body, wherein the first shear edge defining plate is bolted to the top side of the anvil main body, and wherein the wear plate and the first shear edge defining plate cooperate to define a wear surface of the ramp of the anvil unit. 
     
     
         16 . The reducing machine of  claim 15 , wherein the first and second shear edge defining plates each have a rectangular transverse cross-sectional shape defining four corners, wherein the corners define edges that extend along lengths of the plates, wherein the first shear edge defining plate is mounted to the main anvil body at a first mounting location on the top side of the anvil main body, wherein the second shear edge defining plate is mounted to the main anvil body at a second mounting location on the shelf of the anvil main body, wherein the first shear edge defining plate can be bolted to the first mounting location in four different orientations with a different one of the edges of the first shear edge defining plate serving as the first shear edge in each of the four different orientations, and wherein the second shear edge defining plate can be bolted to the second mounting location in four different orientations with a different one of the edges of the second shear edge defining plate serving as the second shear edge in each of the four different orientations. 
     
     
         17 . A reducing machine system comprising:
 a rotational reducing component including a reducing element carrier that is rotated about a central axis of rotation, the reducing element carrier carrying a plurality of reducing elements that are moved along a circumferential reducing path as the reducing element carrier is rotated about the central axis of rotation;   a power in-feed system for feeding material toward the rotational reducing component;   a mill box at least partially surrounding the rotational reducing component; and   first and second anvil units that can be interchangeably inserted into the mill box and removed from the mill box as units, the first and second anvil units each including a ramp configure to bridge a gap between the power in-feed and the rotational reducing component, the first and second anvil units each including at least a first shear edge, the first anvil unit being configured such that the first shear edge of the first anvil unit defines a first shear location along the circumferential reducing path when the first anvil unit is mounted in the mill box, the second anvil unit being configured such that the first shear edge of the second anvil unit defines a second shear location along the circumferential reducing path when the second anvil unit is mounted in the mill box, the first and second shear locations being circumferentially offset from one another such that the first and second shear edges provide different reducing characteristics.   
     
     
         18 . The reducing machine of  claim 17 , wherein the first and second anvil units also include a second shear edges spaced from the first shear edges, the first and second shear edge of each of the first and second anvil units being configured to cooperate with the rotational reducing component to provide consecutive shearing actions as the reducing elements move initially past the first shear edge and then subsequently past the second shear edge. 
     
     
         19 . The reducing machine of  claim 18 , where a first spacing distance is provided between the first and second shear edges of the first anvil unit and a second spacing distance is provided between the first and second shear edges of the second anvil unit, the first spacing distance being different from the second spacing distance.